This week’s episode is a special Hear the Dance reunion: former NYCB Dancer Silas Farley hosts a wide-ranging conversation between legendary former Principal Dancer Merrill Ashley and current Principal Dancer Tiler Peck on George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. As Peck shares, her first exposure to this daunting lead role was in a coaching session with Ashley, long before it became a mainstay in her repertory. Ashley describes the thrilling challenge of taking it on as a new-to-the-Company corps member, when the work was still referred to as Ballet Imperial, and the manner in which the ballet requires both stamina and style: “…the spirit is there. You’re the princess, the queen, and everyone else is your court.” (1:00:38)
Written by Silas Farley
Edited by Gus Reed
READING LIST:
Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky by Solomon Volkov
Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans
Dancing for Balanchine by Merrill Ashley
Tchaikovsky: A Biography by Anthony Holden
MUSIC:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 75 (1892) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Episode 118: The Rosin Box: Dancing Your Way Out of It
Episode 117: The Rosin Box: Behind the Scenes of the Spring Gala
Episode 116: See the Music: Scènes de Ballet
Episode 115: New Combinations: Dig the Say
Episode 114: See the Music: Pictures at an Exhibition
Episode 113: Hear the Dance: Herman Schmerman
Episode 112: New Combinations: Amy Hall Garner
Episode 111: Hear the Dance: Law of Mosaics
Episode 110: The Rosin Box: Partnering
Episode 109: The Rosin Box: Wellness
Episode 108: The Rosin Box: Costume Shop
Episode 107: See the Music: Symphony in Three Movements
Episode 106: Hear the Dance: Liebeslieder Walzer
Episode 105: New Combinations: Tiler Peck
Episode 104: Hear the Dance: In the Night
Episode 103: The Rosin Box: Pointe Work
Episode 102: The Rosin Box: NYCB Education Programs
Episode 101: The Rosin Box: Conducting Ballet
Episode 100: Hear the Dance: Jennifer Homans (Part 2)
Episode 99: Hear the Dance: Jennifer Homans (Part 1)
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